The wheels of a heavy truck are mounted on either end of an axle. In order to steer the vehicle, the wheels are articulated so that they can rotate with respect to the ends of the axle. The pivot that allows the wheels to rotate is called a kingpin. Although a kingpin type steering system is a rugged design that is used on heavy trucks such as semi-tractor trailers, the kingpin and upper and lower spindle bores are susceptible to wear. Distortion of the spindle bores and/or a worn kingpin may cause the steering system to develop unwanted play resulting in loss of steering control and difficulty maintaining wheel alignment. Spindle bores may be repaired by removing and replacing the kingpin and/or machining both the upper and lower bores to accommodate oversized bushings. However, traditional spindle repair techniques entail disassembling the wheel end assembly and then removing the spindle from the vehicle before making necessary repairs.
The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed embodiments. Further, the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded or reduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments. Moreover, while the disclosed technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to unnecessarily limit the embodiments described. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover all suitable modifications, combinations, equivalents, and/or alternatives falling within the scope of the embodiments as defined by the appended claims.